Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaggie’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaggie’, characterized by its unique pink-colored bracts that are held somewhat erect; medium green leaves; upright and spreading plant habit; very freely branching habit; strong lateral stems; and excellent postproduction longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckaggie’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a mutation induction breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of theInventor's Poinsettia development program is to create new Poinsettiacultivars having interesting bract and leaf display, desirable bract andfoliage color and form, strong and freely branching stems and goodpost-production longevity.

The new Poinsettia originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of thecommercial Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘559’, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,773, to gamma-ray radiation at a level of 3,000rads. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor in1996. The selection of this plant was based on its unique bract color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken atEncinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this newPoinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Eckaggie’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Eckaggie’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Unique pink-colored bracts that are held somewhat erect.

2. Medium green leaves.

3. Upright and spreading plant habit.

4. Very freely branching habit; strong lateral stems.

5. Excellent postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas,Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parentcultivar, ‘559’, primarily in bract coloration as bracts of plants of‘559’ are red. Additionally plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘559’ havebeen noted to be different in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are slightly shorter than plants of‘559’.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have light green-colored petioleswhereas plants of ‘559’ have red-colored petioles.

3. Bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are narrower and less lobedthan bracts of plants of ‘559’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Eckaggie’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a topperspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckaggie’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical bracts and leaves of ‘Eckaggie’ (left) and ‘559’ (right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas,Calif., under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhousewith day temperatures about 22 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to18° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in16.5-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengtheningnights during the fall/early winter.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckaggie’.

Parentage: Induced mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar‘559’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,773.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 to 18 days at 26 to 28° C.Winter: About 15 to 18 days at 24° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 26 days at 26 to 28° C. Winter:About 26 days at 24° C.

Rooting habit.—Thick, freely branching, becoming fibrous withdevelopment.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.

Growth habit.—Upright and spreading. Very freely branching. Branching isenhanced by removing the shoot apex.

Plant vigor.—Moderate.

Plant height.—About 27 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cmcontainer, about 18 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Number of lateral branches: About eight lateralbranches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branchlength: About 20 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Stem color: 146B.

Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 9.Length: About 12 cm. Width: About 7 cm. Shape: Ovate with rounded lobes.Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth. Mostlyglabrous with very slight pubescence on lower surface. Color: Youngfoliage, upper surface: 137A. Young foliage, lower surface: 137D. Maturefoliage, upper surface: 137A. Mature foliage, lower surface: 137D.Venation, upper surface: 137D. Venation, lower surface: 137D. Petiole:Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 144C.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development can be induced under long night conditions.Response time is about 9.5 weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about eightper plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 28.5 cm. Height (depth): About 5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usuallyabout 15 primary bracts and about 5 smaller secondary bracts perinflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 17 cm. Width, largestbracts: About 8 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate occasionally with rounded lobes.Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth. Aspect:Somewhat erect. Color: Developing, upper surface: 39B. Developing, lowersurface: 39C. Mature, upper surface: 48B. Mature, lower surface: 49A.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 11 or 12 per corymb. Diameter ofcyathia cluster: About 2 by 3.5 cm. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 5mm. Color: Immature: 144A to 144B. Mature: 144C. Peduncle: Length: About4 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144C. Stamens: Stamen number: Verynumerous, typically more than 20 per cyathium. Anther size: Less than 1mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: 7B. Amount of pollen: Moderate.Pollen color: 7B. Pistils: No pistillate flowers observed. Nectarycolor: 14A.

Disease resistance: No fungal, bacterial nor viral problems observed onplants grown under commercial conditions.

Postproduction longevity: Generally plants maintain good substance andbract color for about six weeks under interior conditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Eckaggie’, as illustrated and described.